School Troubles
by Bookworm1978
Summary: Master Splinter is finding it harder to teach his students. What will he do about it? And what does National Novel Writing Month have to do with it?
1. The Plan Unfolds

Splinter did not know what to do. He had been teaching for a number of years, ever since the young ones had been about five, he been teaching them their letters, and number, basic reading writing and math. He had scrounged for material with single-minded intensity. He tried his best to keep one step of them, so that he would know how to teach them, essentially becoming a student as must as a teacher. He did all he knew how to.

But the fact is he was not a teacher. He was not even a very good student when he went to school, save in the art of ninjutsu. In the subject of Ninjutsu, and the disciplines that encompasses, he is nothing short of a master. It does help him teach the turtles other subjects that are connected to it, meditation, the language of japanese, both in written and spoken form, meditation, and, especially for Raphael and Michelangelo, counting, when in the form of back flips.

But not being interested in more scholastic endeavors, he had that much of a harder time teaching them to the youngsters he found himself raising. Especially to as thirsty a mind as Donatello proved to be. Now, the tenth year is about to began, and the students, all of them have areas of study that are surprising the teacher, in one area or another.

Leonardo's grasp of history is flawless, and he now sometimes corrects Splinter on some of the dates and names. He does so respectfully, and it still does not happen as often as it could, but Splinter is starting to feel like that has less to do with Leonardo's knowledge, and more to do with his student's respect for his master. He simply didn't seem to feel right about correcting his teacher, even when he was sure of the answer.

Raphael's skills with math and reading is advancing rapidly, more than he can keep up with. He always was able to do math in his head, it was a matter of showing the work that had him frustrated, but now he's conjuring algebra with ease, and that was as far as Splinter got, or anyway, as far as he remembered now. And math was something Splinter struggled with. And unlike Leo, Raphael has no problem correcting Splinter, or worrying if his actions are disrespectful or not.

Michelangelo struggles with academics as well as Splinter. In some areas, like science and math, he's still pretty low for his age, or so Splinter guesses. But in creative subjects, he comes into his own. Splinter has a very hard time finding art supplies, but Michelangelo's skills are far outstripping his materials at hand. He can take bits of dry paint on cast-off cans, and transform it into a skillfully crafted watercolor. He makes his own paper, and charcoal pencils. His reports, while often lacking in facts or proof, are often a wonder in creative writing. And his cooking rose to where he had taken over the role of family chef.

If the other three are a struggle to teach, it's nothing compared to the challenges awaiting anyone who dares try to teach Donatello. Splinter had nothing but materials and general guidance to offer since Donatello was seven. He was trying to figure out algebra and Trig by five, and reading 'War and Peace' when he was six. He made his own periodic table when he was seven, and had gotten the first fridge to work around the same time. He absorbs everything from books and conversations, and has shown to have a photographic memory of all he read or observed. Many times, Splinter had itched to have this most promising of student's I.Q. tested, but how does one test the I.Q. of a mutant turtle?

He had been scrounging in one of his favorite junk yards, this one seemed be a dumping ground for several schools for there was always a bunch of textbooks here, when he stumbled on a number of book all about homeschooling. Among them he also found a paper, announcing the arrival of a writing event that happens annually. The next day, when he gotten his students together, what he said surprised them.

"My sons, I am afraid I have no more to teach you. Instead, we will start teaching each other. I trust you will not use this time to slack in your studies, however. But each of you will more or less arrange your studies as you will see fit."

Leo raised his hand, causing the old rat to pause, and after a moment, nod to him to let him speak. "But, who will give us our grades?" He asked, sounding worried.

"We will grade our projects together. In this way, I will be guide still, and be able to encourage all of you to continue to put forth your best effort."

"And our, I mean, we can study whatever we want?" Raph asked in disbelieving tones, not even bothering to raise his hand as Leo did.

"Yes, for the most part." Splinter nodded, his ears going back slightly at the oversight. "But I would like for you to still put some of your time toward writing, reading and mathematics."

"Oh, man." He heard Mikoangelo sigh dejectedly.

He hid a faint, fond smile, and added, as though he didn't hear. "Of course these three can be worked into your schedule in any way you choose. For example. You read a recipe that you want to try for lunch one day. That is reading. You decide to copy it so you will not lose it, that's writing. And you work out all the percentages and the measurements in the use of that recipe, then that is math. I hope that will be found helpful." And he warmed at the brilliant smile that flashed over his youngest's face.

"So, we will do whatever we want to do, but we also have to clear it with you." Donatello said, in a slow, thoughtful way, as though he was working his way through a word problem. "But, what if what we decide to do is not what you feel is what we should do? Are there any guidelines we need to be following? Are there any subjects you can still teach us? How will this look like?"

"Excellent questions, all of them, and one I will more or less show you rather than tell you right now. You see, I am learning how this will be with you. I too will be putting myself into the role of student to you. There are some subjects that each of you proved you could teach me, if you so choose. And in those areas, I will learn from you. However there are some subject from each of you, that I will continue to teach. But I would like you to tell me how best I can teach you, just as I will tell you how best you can teach me. In this way, we shall learn the most, and be the most productive for the majority of the family."

"Cool! When can we start?" Raphael exclaimed.

"We are starting right now." Splinter said calmly, as he sat down in front of them on the floor. "This is not going to affect our lessons in Ninjutsu, I want that to be understood. When we are in the dojo, I am Master and you are the pupils. Am I clear?"

A weak series of "Hai, sensei" Followed this announcement, and again Splinter fought the urge to smile at the expressions on their young faces.

"So, what do we do now?" Mikey asked, frowning in puzzlement.

"We plan out what we will focus on this month. I will start by saying that I wish for Leonardo to aid me in memorizing the various dynasties of China, starting with the first this month." Splinter

began, but was cut off by a startled Leo. "You want me to teach you?"

"Yes, and you are the best at memorizing historical facts."

"you mean better than the geek here?" Raph asked, jerking a thumb in Donnie's directing and earning an indignant "Hey!" From the person in question.

"In history, I am forced to say yes. Although he is about a grade or so lower, and I suspect it is mainly because he is not as interested as he could be." Splinter began, only to be cut off again, this time by an indignant Donatello. "I can learn history if I want to!"

"Then you may follow my lesson if you want, or you may work with Leonardo in a branch that would be better suited to your interests." Splinter said, giving him a look that plainly said he would not have such rudeness.

"Hai, sensei." Donatello sighed, taking the non verbal reproof meekly enough.

Oh, does that mean I can teach something?" Mikey yelled excitedly, waving his arm around like a crazy cartoon character. "Can I? Please? Pleasepleaseplease!"

"You are teaching us something right now." Splinter nodded, smiling gently, well pleased by his youngest's enthusiasm.

"What? Really? What is it?"

"How to be happy and excited about what is happening, no matter how disagreeable it might be. And I would be disappointed if you did not teach us what you can of art, and creative writing."

"Oh, yeah? Oh ohohohoh! Can I cook teaching? I mean can I teach cooking?" Mikey asked, little stars shining in his eyes.

"If you can actually find someone to teach." Raph scoffed. "I don't wanna learn no sissy cooking." 

"I'll learn. I'll be happy to." Leo began, but the others didn't let him finish. 

"No." 

"No way, Leo!" 

"Not a chance. I'm still fixing the toaster from last time!"

"I think Leo, that while it would be wise to learn some basic skills, your talents might...lie elsewhere." Splinter said tactfully, seeing his eldest sons mournful expression.

"Start with not putting a fork in the toaster to make the bread come out faster." Don griped. "Leo you could have been killed." 

"I said sorry, didn't I? I sad it a thousand times!" 

"No you didn't. It was only forty-two times."

The other three looked at him in disbelief. Donnie shrugged. "What? I counted." 

"You are such a little sh….er, know it all." raph said, glancing quickly at Spinter before changing a word halfway in. Splinter noticed the ten-year old hesitation, and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, at least I won't be expected to teach. Raph added with a shrug." 

"You might have more to offer the other than anyone. Save Donatello." Splinter said kindly, laying a warm fuzzy hand on a smaller shoulder.

"Huh? Whatcha mean?"

"You can forage better than any of the others. YOu have more knowledge of exercising and fitness than anyone here, save me. And your math and logic skills are second only to Donatello. You are good with your hands, and I believe you have a lot to teach your brothers in being observant. I only hope that you will learn from your brothers on the fine art of controlling your temper, and you will find you have a vast treasure of skills that you can share with your brothers in turn." 

Raphael didn't say anything. He quickly hid the proud smile that kept trying to form over lips that lately lost their smile, but the proud look in his eyes at the praise didn't die out nearly as fast.

"What about me?" Donnie asked, looking at Sensei with a wistful expression in his brown eyes. "Do I have anything I can teach?" 

"Do you have anything to teach?" Raph broke in indignantly, cutting off whatever Splinter was about to say. "Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Raphael! Language." 

"Freaking's not the same as...Okay, okay!" As dark eyes stared into green ones, growing smaller and smaller. "Just saying. He gots a lot to teach. He's the smartest one here!"

"Yeah! He can do mad chymistry stuff! I hope he can teach me to make stink bombs….Er, for theory. Not making for pranks or anything of course." Mikey added, with a sheepish grin at the looks his brothers and father was giving him.

"Why waste time learning stink bombs?" Raph snorted. "We live in a sewer!"

'Hmmm...good point." Mikey pondered that for a second, then added brightly. "Maybe he can show us how to make unstink bombs!"

Splinter caught Leo and Raph glance at each other with eye ridge raised. "I think you mean air fresheners?" Leo asked at last.

"Yeah, that's it. But unstink bombs sounds cooler."

"So, I think we have an idea of what we need to get started. Tomorrow, we will forage for supplies. Each of you will pick a different location, and it will be a training in stealth. Am I clear? No noise, no contact with humans, only in the shadows. The slightest hint of danger, and you get underground as fast as you can. Today, we go over our lesson plans. Then you show me, and I will let you know if it is sufficiently...challenging without being overwhelming." 

"Hai, Sensei." 

"Very well." 

"yeah, okay." 

"You da boss, Splinta."

"Also, I have an experiment that I want all of us to try, with the start of November." 

"What is that, Master Splinter?" 

"The humans above call it Nanowrimo."


	2. Schedules

The next few days passed in a blur. Splinter watched his son's training with a mixture of satisfaction, and dread. In their ninjutsu, they were progressing in a satisfactory manner, and there he is fully satisfied. It is in the planning for their schooling that had left him with the uncomfortable mix of satisfaction and dread for the coming months. Satisfaction because each of them had, to varying degrees already risen to the challenge with admirable drive and responsibility. He was particularly proud of the schedule Leonardo and Donatello put together. the two plans were very comprehensive, and Donnie had shown greater humility than Splinter originally thought possible by coming to each of his brothers, and asking for lessons in some of the subjects he was weakest in.

The dread was more varied. It is hard to watch the children you raise start to become more capable and independent. He felt old when he watched, and noted how they didn't come to ask his help as often as he thought they were. Mikey came over the most, and the exchange between them had the feel of co-conspirators, instead of teacher-student. He is the youngest one, and When Splinter realized that even Mikey didn't seem to need his help as much as in the years before, he felt very, very old indeed.

The dread was also in the schedules themselves. not that any one of them was bad, per say. Each had shown theirs to Splinter for advice and correction. And he had offered both unstinting. But it was still worrying.

Leo's Schedule

6 am Wake up, greet the day with meditation and Katas

7 Breakfast

8 Practice and Meditation training

noon Lunch

1 Math, A Reading Exercise and Writing in my journal

2 Teaching history

3 Cooking lesson with Mikey, Mechanics with Raph. Alternating

4 Review my lessons/quizzes and tests

5 Tutoring with Donnie

6 Dinner

7 Chores

Raph's Schedule

Wake up, push-ups sit-ups and Exercises

Breakfast-annoy Mikey

Training in dojo

Lunch

Chores

Reading/writing

Math with Donnie

Science with Donnie and Mikey

Mechanics with Leo/Woodwork lessons with Splinter

Dinner

History with Mikey

Dinner

Go for a jog

Evening exercises

Mikey's Schedule

Wake, greet the day with a happy song!

Hurry to make breakfast

dishes

training!

Hurry back to the kitchen and clean it

Pick out a cookbook and review a recipe for lunch and dinner

Write down meal plan for the rest of the day/check the paper mash

Prepare lunch

Cooking Lessons! Only Leo so far. Bully Leo into doing lunch dishes

Review Pantry, and update grocery list. Pray that we can find what we need.

Science with Donnie and Raph

Arts and Crafts! Teach Donnie Art

Creative Writing

History with Raph-taught by Leo

Prepare Dinner

Dishes or give Donnie the puppy eyes, when I am too tired to clean up again

Read a book on gardening/homemaking/cooking and baking

Work on comic!

Donnie's Schedule

Wake up when Someone makes me to.

Tidy room

Breakfast

clear table

training in dojo

Science/mechanics lesson/Teach Math with Leo

Work on Math with Raph

Learn History With Leo

Teaching Science with Mikey and Raph

Read a Classic/write a book report

Read a Homeschooling book

Art Lessons from Mikey

Math for myself

Chores

Dinner

Wash dishes, because I know that Mikey will make me do so somehow

Repair as needed

write in my journal


	3. Art Class

Mikey looked around worriedly, as he paced. Everyone knew he was putting together a really rad art lesson today! Where were they? Well, he mentally amended, with a blush and a proud smile at the one pupil that had shown up so far. Master Splinter sat contentedly on one of the sofa cushions Mikey had dragged into the dojo earlier that day, with a sketch pad in hand and his own ink pot and brush resting at his side. He seemed to be meditating as he waited for the lesson to began. It still seemed really weird to be teaching his father. He was their teacher all his life, after all! But it was also really sweet too!

Mikey sighed again. Then with an aggravated growl that seemed better suited for Raph than himself, he stomped to the door of the dojo and bellowed in a rare show of temper. "

Dudes! You are totally about to miss the most bodacious class of all times. Five mins before it starts, dudes!"  
"I swear, if I find out which one of you losers let mike watch surfer movies, I'll royally fu.."  
"Finish that sentence, and you will find out just how many flips you can do before passing out, Raphael!" Came a stern voice from inside the dojo.  
"But I did….hai, Sensei. Raph said begrudgingly with a dark glower at the inoffensive wall.

"Also, I am seriously disappointed that you would refer to your brothers as losers. Each is different from you, but nobody here is a loser."  
"Hai, Sensei," Raph said again, with a sound that was a mix between a sigh and a growl. Mikey stared at him for a moment, head tilted to the side. He wondered briefly what Raph was going to say. Some word that started with fu. Fun? Funny? Then he lost that train of thought as he noticed Leonardo smile from the stairwell, and silently let him know that he was getting his stuff for art class. Mikey grinned and nodded, and looked at Raph again, wondering if he was going to join. It didn't look like it. He was surrounded by paper, and all of their store of history books, and was alternating between writing, sucking on the tip of his pen and muttering darkly under his breath. Mikey was pretty sure one word was shit, but the rest were a complete mystery to him. At least this time he had the sense to say it out of Daddy's hearing.

"Sorry, Mikey. I would come, but the fridge is on the fritz, and that is a priority one repair job." Donnie said, poking his head out from the kitchen archway, with a smear of oil on his beak and a sheepish expression on his face.

Mikey smiled slightly and nodded. "It's chill. Food is mondo more importo than art."  
"Specially the way he does it," Raph added nastily.

Donnie's expression fell, and he glanced with pain-filled eyes at the hunched-over grouch, bit his lower lip, then hurriedly vanished.

"Dude! That was way harsh!"  
"Don't start on me. It was true anyway. HIs art sucks."  
"Raphael! Language!"  
"Fine! Hai, Sensei! Geesh."  
"One more show of disrespect." Came the deadly threat, made all the deadlier by the calm, cold way Master Splinter's voice delivered it. "And you will think you were born scrubbing toilets and doing backflips."  
"Hai, Sensei. Sorry, Sensei."  
"Anyway, are you coming Raphie?" Mikey asked, looking uncomfortable, but wanting to chance the topic quickly.  
"Nope. Can't anyway." Raph growled. "Stupid Leo."  
"What did I do?" Leo asked, appearing again, with art pad in one hand and his case of pencils in the other.  
"Your stupid history assignments are stupid." Raph glared.

"It was just a report. Even Mikey is almost done. And Donnie turned his in yesterday." Leo asked, looking puzzled.

"It is a dumb report."  
"What are you writing on, anyway?"  
Raph glanced up, then ducked down amid the papers again. "The Civil War."  
"What part of it?"  
"Whatcha mean what part of it?"  
Mikey's eyes went wide, and he glanced at Leo. Leo was glancing back at him. Both of them looked stunned. Then Leo covered his mouth with his hands. He was very clearly struggling not to laugh.

"That is too much to go through for a thousand word report," he said when he had the laugh under control. "You need to pick a smaller topic."  
"Great! Now ya tell me."  
"Just give me what you did, if it's a thousand words, I'm sure it will be fine."  
"But all I wrote was about the start of da war!"  
"Call it, How the Civil War got started, and clean it up a bit if it got spelling errors and stuff. Then turn it in."  
Raph glanced at him with a raised eye ridge. "Dat's it?" he asked

"That's it."  
Raph grinned suddenly and started scribbling furiously. Leo smiled as he watched for a second. Then walked to where Mikey stood. "I hear we are going to have a great art lesson to look forward to," he said.

Mikey beamed and nodded. Then his smile faded and he glanced in the direction of the kitchen. "Sure do, but I need a few more minutes. Can you do me a solid and check if everything is ready? When I get back, we are going to watch a totally rad art video, and then do a portrait."  
"Sounds great."  
"Yeah, be right back, kay?"  
He watched as Leo vanished. Then he hurried to the kitchen. For a moment, he didn't see Don. Then he noticed the pair of green feet that stuck out past the side of the fridge. Mikey edged closer and squatted down to look in. As he feared, there now was some tell-tale streaks of grease stains along Donnie's cheeks, even though he tried to hide it by turning his face away from Mikey's gaze. "Go away." He heard Donnie say, with a hiccup

"Are you going to be cool?" Mikey asked, worriedly.  
"Yeah. I know better. Raph was just stressed, and he needed a target. I get it."  
"But you don't need to just take it"  
"No, it's okay."  
"No, it's not! You don't need to take that kind of crud. You ain't Raph's whipping boy!"  
"I know….but it's not like he was wrong. I stink at art."  
"...yeah, but you do the best copy work."  
"Copy work is not real art."  
"Dude, it totally is! We all got to practice da skills somehow. And your ability to copy what you see is totally awesome."  
"Whatever, Mikey."  
Mikey leaned back on his heels and watched as Donnie continued tweaking something that was in the back of the fridge. He frowned. Then smiled slightly, and patted Don on the calf before straitening. "Well, I can go over the lesson again when you're done. If ya want."  
"Yeah. Thanks." Donnie glanced down, with a slight but real smile this time.  
"No prob, bro. No prob."


	4. A New Project

"Masta, what do ya want? I thought we are done with training today?"  
"Raphael, I told you repeatedly to call me Sensei."  
"Er, hai Masta Spl..er, Sensei."  
Splinter glanced at the others as they knelt in from of him, and there was a chorus of voices from his other three sons spoke up with varying degrees of tone, volume, and enthusiasm. "Hai, Sensei."  
He nodded one short, quick nod. Then he paced for another minute or two before speaking. "I had told you that we would be working in a cooperative relationship this year, as far as your education goes. How do you think it has gone so far?"

"Oh! I think it's been really good so far!" Leo exclaimed, with a broad grin. "I love setting my own schedule!"  
"*Coughcough*brown nose*Coughcough*"

Splinter paused and glared at the distractor, who flushed and looked away.

"I guess it's been good so far," Donnie said, blushing bright red as he glanced up with a worried expression. "I like being able to learn what I want. If we have the material to study what that is, at least. But I keep feeling like I'm missing something without someone to help me….well, know I covered everything before I moved on to the next thing."  
"Not me! I love being able to cook and do art so much!" Mikey exclaimed, bouncing happily where he sat. "I even put up some pickles! For real! Donnie found a book on old kitchen skills and we worked out how to start our own pickles! I'm trying cheese next."  
"you're the cheese, Mikey." Raph scoffed, then shrugged. "Still school ta me. But I like getting in da guts of the machine Donnie and me got with ya Fa..Mast…..Sensei."

"I am glad to see that each of you has put much thought into your studies." Splinter praised them, after listening to each characteristic speech. "I have an idea for a change, however."  
"A change?" Leo asked as the others reacted to his announcement with either a gasp, or a raised eye ridge, or wondering frown.

"A long-term project. For the month of November."  
"What kind of project didja have in mind?"  
"A writing one. I have been investigating this contest that happens every November, and I believe that the four of you, and myself, should give it a good try."  
The four glanced at each other nervously, before Leo spoke up. "What kind of writing challenge? Do you want us to write reports?"  
"No, a novel."  
"What?!"  
"What!"  
"Coooool!"

"Wait a minute, you like this idea, Mikey?"  
"You bet I do! We could write about lots of stuff!"  
"Writing means reading, dork."  
"Hey!"  
"Besides, there is no way we can write a good novel. No matter how long we have to do it. It must take years and years to plan one out, let alone write it."

"I do not believe the goal of the challenge is to write a good novel." Splinter cut into Leo's rant with practiced ease. "Only that you have to write fifty thousand words in the month of November."  
"You mean we gotta write fifty thousand words! I gotta write how many words?"  
"Fifty thousand, but I think forty thousand would be a better goal for you four."  
"Well sh….oot," Raph said, changing the last word when a glare burned him out of swearing.

"We mean no disrespect, Sensei," Leo interjected, with an annoyed glance at the hothead, who was starting to look like he was going to sulk. "But this seems, well, impossible. I don't know how I'm going to be able to write ten thousand, let alone four times that!"  
"Have you ever tried before?"  
"Well, no. But this sounds…..I really don't think we can do this."  
"How do you know if you had never tried before?"  
"I…" Leo fell silent, not sure how to respond to that. Silently he glanced at the others. His eyes were full of a silent plea for help. He got none.  
Raph was, as his expression warned earlier, sliding into full sulk mode, and was no longer reacting to the others around him. Mikey was staring at their Father like he was the single smartest person on the face of the planet, and that he could not wait to get started on the new project. Donnie glanced at Leo, then looked away with the slightest of worried frowns being the only clue to where his thoughts were going.

"Would you try Nanowrimo with me, my sons?" Splinter asked, gently, as he watched each face carefully. His expression was neutral, but his eyes held a hopeful expression that decided it for Leo. He nodded quickly. "I don't think I can, but I will try."  
"That is all I ask."  
"You know I'm it! Oh, this is going to be so sweet!"  
"I am glad you are so excited about this, my son."

"Well, if Mikey and Leo's in then I gotta be. There ain't no way I'm going to let those dorks beat me."  
"Ah….thank you for agreeing my son."

Four sets of eyes turned to the only one that had yet to speak. Donnie glanced at each one of his family, with a worried expression on his face. He drew his knees up close to himself, wrapped his arms around his legs, and wordlessly nodded.

"I am very proud of you, my sons." Splinter praised them with apparent approval. "We will spend the rest of this week searching for supplies. And on November first, we shall begin."  
"What about the rest of school?" Leo asked.

"We will train in ninjutsu as usual, and I want you to have a math class a couple times of week to keep your hand in. And you are still to read in the evenings for an hour, but otherwise, I believe the writing will be the primary focus for that month."

"Well, at least that will grant us the time, at least," Donnie spoke, at last, looking weary, as though picturing all the work ahead of him had already made him tired. "Having any talent, however…..well, Like Sensei and Emerson says, how do we know what we can do until we have tried?"  
"I couldn't have put it better, Donatello."


	5. November First

Leo leaned back at his desk and tapped a finger in time to the beat of his heart. A brand new, an actually brand new notebook rested in front of him. The cover was open, and the first perfect milky-white page was ready to be written on. He had plenty of pens, and four full hours to write in. But not a single idea came to him. Not one. All he knew was he wanted to write about a ninja warrior. But he didn't even know what the ninja looked like.

He tapped a bit longer, then grabbed a pen, and stared at the paper, with new determination. But the determination crumbled almost instantly. Sighing he got up and paced. It was no good. He was no writer!

Five minutes of pacing passed and more thoughts of quitting passed. Then a thud and a mumbled line of curses that would have gotten a bunch of flips from Raph's room caused Leo to pause and glance in that direction. Then his eyes widened, and he glanced back at the notebook. Then, in a flash, he has seated again and writing at a furious pace.

Raph too was having a hard time getting started. He stared at his notebook like the idea would start to write itself if he could intimidate the notebook enough. He ran laps around the room. He did pushups. He doodled. He swore under his breath. Finally, realizing that the first page had nothing but doodles on it, he threw his chair with a curse anyone could hear that time. Gulping, he glanced at the door apprehensively, more than half expecting Splinter to burst in and give him more back flips than he can do for a year. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Silently, he decided to slip out of his room, and peek in on the others. Surely he wasn't the only one to be having trouble! He first glanced in at Leo. And snarled softly. The little twerp. He should have known Leo would be able to write. In fact, Leo was writing so hard that he didn't realize Raph was there. Huh, must be deep in his idea, because Leo is never, never that unaware!

Mikey's room was on the other side of Leo's, but when Raph peeked in, he was amazed to see the most hyper of them also busily writing away. Not at the desk, he was lying on the floor, and with a marker on a giant art pad, but still! There was a stack of paper beside the smaller turtle, and as Raph watched, he pulled off another sheet without looking at it and put it on top of the stack. And he was supposed to be the one who can't stay still. Or focus on anything. And here he was, writing so fast, Raph swore that the marker was smoking at the tip. Raph was tempted to try and grab a sheet when he saw it was liberally supplied with sketches as well as words. But there was no way the little twerp would not notice that. He was surrounded by geeks! Speaking of geeks…

Donnie's room was the last in the hall, with a barely functioning bathroom between. A side project of Donnie's was adding a bathroom to the second floor since they were now to sleep up there. But he said that the parts were slow in being scrounged. HE glanced in it, as he passed. Heh, there is a toilet now! Then he glanced in at Donnie's room, expecting the little geek to be writing harder than any of them. Surprisingly, he was not. He was sitting on the floor, staring at a spread of papers with a dejected air about him. Raph was always the first to tease his brothers and the last to comfort them, but he was both bored enough now, and sympathetic enough with what appeared to be a shared problem to sneak in. "You okay?"  
Donnie jumped and stared at Raph with wide eyes. "Don't do that!"  
"Do what?"  
"Scare me like that!" Donnie took a deep breath and let it out as Raph smirked at him. "Besides, you are supposed to be writing?" Donnie added, calmer, as he frowned thoughtfully.

"Ain't you?"  
"Ain't is not a word."

"Ain't"  
Donnie's frown deepened. "Didn't you hear me? Ain't is not a…"  
"Ain't. Ain't. Ain't. Ain't."  
"Raph, cut it out!"  
"Ain't ain't a word and I ain't going to use it!"

"I said cut it out!"  
"I ain't going to cut it out. Ain't I? Nope, I ain't"

"Urgh! You are so hopeless!"

"No, I ain't."  
"Ain't you…" Donnie gasped and covered his mouth with both hands with a horrified expression on his face. Raph stared at him for a moment, the started roaring with laughter. He laughed so hard he had to clutch his sides with his arms as he leaned on the doorframe, his laughter coming out in choking gasps.

Donnie slowly lost his horrified expression, as his hand slowly dropped. He glared at Raph, and the glower became angrier and angrier as Raph's laughing fit continued. At last, he barked. "Are you completely done?"

Raph couldn't speak, he was too busy drawing air in his lungs, but he nodded. He looked up, his green eyes sparkingly with a mirth Donnie didn't have the heart to completely quell. It was a nice change from the emo Raph that had been around since their last mutation day ceremony. Still, Donnie didn't like being the but of Raph's jokes. And partial quells won't hurt him any."Then get out."  
"Aww, come on." Raph managed to say.  
"Don't aww come on with me. I am trying to get something done and you are wasting my time."

"Having trouble?"  
Donnie blinked up at him, Then reluctantly nodded, and looked away.  
"Me too."  
Brown eyes locked on green ones in surprise. "I thought you'll be having no problems!" Donnie exclaimed.

"Me? I ain't got a quarter of yer brains. So what makes you say that? When did I ever look like a writer? Huh?"

"Well, maybe not a writer. But you can be almost as creative as Mikey when we are doing the story game."  
"Bah, that ain't real writing. It's goofing. And Mikey always starts it off."  
"So you're having trouble coming up with an idea to get started on?"  
"Yeah. See, you are the smart one."

Ignoring Raph's sarcasm, Donnie glanced at the papers beside him with a thoughtful air. "I almost wish I had that problem," he said listlessly.  
"Whatcha mean by that?"

"Well, I have so many ideas, I can't decide which one to use." Donnie glanced at him again, for a second. "If you want one, be my guest."  
"What do you mean, if I want one? Whatcha got there?"  
"Outlines. Twelve of them so far. Father said that we can plan for today, plan the story, I mean. so I did. The problem is I kept having ideas, and all of them are dumb, but I like them too, and I don't know how to settle on any of them."  
"Let me see em."  
"Please, be my guest."  
"Kay, let's see what crawls in ya big brain here," Raph said, settling down on the other side of the pile and picking one up at random.

He glanced through it. Then glanced through another. And another, until he was done. He stared at Donnie in surprise. Donnie shifted uncomfortably under the intensity of the gaze, and finally blurted out. "What? Are they dumb? They are really dumb, aren't they?"  
"They ain't geeky!"  
"Huh? What does that suppose to mean."  
"Well, the spaceship one is kinda geeky. But in that geeky cool kind of way. So it's good. All of em are real good! Like a movie."  
"Really? You like them?"  
"All but the romance one."  
Donnie blushed at that. "Yeah, that was lame." he agreed sheepishly.

"Why you wrote it then?" Raph asked, curiously tilting his head as he continued to stare at Donnie with an unblinking gaze. Donnie turned even redder. "A...it came to me in a dream and I couldn't get it out of my head until I outlined it."  
"Oh. That bites."  
"Yeah, I know. It really was distracting. If this is how writing is, I think I'm better off being an engineer."  
"I want the Ranger one."  
"Oh, that one? You like that one?"  
"Yeah, it looks like it could be fun. I can make him a total bad ass."  
"Raph!"  
"What? Splinter ain't here. Besides, saying ass is not swearing If I mean a donkey."  
"You want to make him a bad donkey?"  
"Shut it! You know that ain't what I mean."

"But you said that was what you mean."  
"I meant that it wasn't swearing if I mean that, not that I mean that! Dweeb!"  
"It pays to be precise."  
"It pays not to be a dweeb."  
"Fine. Take it and get out of my room!"

"I ain't ready yet."  
"Sorry, but I insist.  
"I ain't going till we fix you too."

Donnie stopped and stared at Raph in surprise. "What?"  
"Ya heard me. I ain't leaving till we get you started too. It's only fair since ya helped me out."  
"You would do that for me?"  
"I just said that, didn't I? Ain't you listening?"  
"I...how?"

Raph grinned. "Easy. Well, I got an idea anyway."  
He grabbed the outline he said he wanted, and stuffed it in his belt. Then he energetically started spreading the other papers out till the carpeted Donnie's floor like a rug. Ignoring Donnie's flinch at the mess, he stepped back, with a smirk. "Got a coin?"  
"You know all the coins we find go to Father."  
"Got something small then, like a disk of metal?"  
Donnie went to his tiny desk and started fishing in a jar there. He came back at last with a bit of metal, with a hole in it. "Got this washer," he said, offering it to him.  
"That what you call em?"  
"Yes. See they…"  
"Tell me later." Raph interrupted, as he took it. Then he glanced at Donnie again, who had a hurt expression on his face. "No really. Tell me later. When you talk tools and stuff, it's not as dorky as the rest."  
"Okay," Donnie mumbled, but his expression did brighten a little.

Raph tossed the washer in the air, and it landed between two papers that were near Donnie's bed. "Well, it's a start," Raph said off-handedly, as he picked up the others and put the on the desk. Then he picked up the two and handed them to Donnie. "Think ya can choose from these two?" He asked. "Or ya want me to do that again?"  
Donnie glanced at the papers, then put one aside. "Raph, that was brilliant!" He smiled. I think I can stick with this one."  
"See? I ain't dumb."  
"I never said you were."

"Don't lie. You always call me meathead and all kindsa things!"  
"I didn't mean that you were dumb," Donnie said, earnestly. HIs entire frame seemed to vibrate with the intensity of his earnestness. "I just never understood why you wouldn't take the time to think about things because I know you are smart. And it is frustrating to see you not think when I know you can. The only reason you do dumb things is because you don't stop to think before you act, not because you are not smart!"

"Geesh, don't get all mushy on me!" Raph grumbled, turning bright red. But then he surprised both of them, by giving Donnie a quick, awkward hug. Then he hurried away, leaving a stunned Donnie in the wake.


End file.
